What Goes on over the Summer in a Dynamic Nonprofit Organization?

We asked JCP’s remarkable staff team. And what we heard was remarkable, but not surprising. They were incredibly busy and produced great things in this period of hot subways and solar eclipses!

First, new and talented people arrived to help inspire the work:

New Hebrew School Director, Erin Beser, reports:I have been warmly welcomed by my colleagues and the community and have started to settle in and get to know as many JCP folks as possible over the summer. I have met our veteran faculty and have hired some exciting new teachers for our Hebrew School classes!

New Early Childhood Center Director, Alicia Stoller reports: I have been thrilled to meet individually with almost all of our teachers. They are a warm, thoughtful, and deeply caring group, and several have already been back to begin to prepare their classrooms. Teacher orientation is planned with a theme of “Teamwork,” and we will have many opportunities for morale building, reflection, conversation, and creativity over our two full days together.

New Program Coordinator for the Center for Jewish Life, Hannah Mira Friedland, reports: It has been a joy to begin working at JCP and to join such a warm and creative staff. JCP YOUTH and youth High Holiday program preparations are well underway, and I look forward to meeting more of the JCP community in the coming weeks!

Stacy and Jonathan Pollack gave JCP an amazing gift of a new Aron Kodesh ark for the Torah scroll, in honor of their son Braden’s upcoming Bar Mitzvah this fall. We can’t wait to show it off!

Preparations are underway for the first Friday Evening Services (September 15) of the program year on the eve of Joey Meltzer’s Bar Mitzvah that weekend, with musical guest Matthew Check. Families new to JCP’s schools will be welcomed that evening by board members and given a special blessing at servicess. Tot Shabbat launches in the morning on (September 16) as Ora Fruchter returns to JCP with her beloved puppets.

Kehillah, JCP’s membership program continues to grow and take shape. The JCP team decided to enroll all new HSP and ECC families for their first year with JCP at no cost to the family as a way of welcoming participation throughout JCP.

But wait, what about the schools and JCP’s academic programs?

Erin Beser is rolling out updated Hebrew School curriculum including new approaches in Tefillah (prayer) and core teaching, and exciting school-wide experiential programs for the fall.

JCPlay, the program for our youngest children has grown to 23 children for fall, including six new families.

The annual school refresh at 146 Duane Street got creative this year, see what the team did to make our home more beautiful and more useful for students, teachers, families and staff!

And how have they communicated all of this to us and, hopefully, to you?

JCP’s new website launched in August. We hope you will visit often!

The Annual Report for 2016-17 is complete and will arrive in your home mailboxes shortly, accompanied by a calendar of High Holiday services/programs and JCP events for September to December.

Three days of open houses are planned for September 6, 7 and 8 to welcome members of the JCP community and local residents to JCP’s energy and activities.